The Palaung Land Website

Posted By admin on May 1, 2008

According to a local villager, the authorities are using many techniques to make the government personnel and villagers support SPDC’s constitution in the Palaung area.

29.4.2008, Doctors, Government personnel, other staff, section leader/ chairman met to discuss supporting the “Yes” vote in (Ma Ya Ka) office in Northern Shan State, Muse province at NamKham Township. Personnel said “they (SPDC) will investigate the house that they suspect. If they find papers that relate to politics, they will arrest the house owner for questioning. They said the house owner will be put in prison for at least 7 to 10 years.”

SPDC is not only focusing on the vote but also on arresting people related to politics. “They also restrict not to go out when getting dark. They said we need to inform early if there is a guest in our house” a personnel continues.

(Another personnel added), “for supporting the vote, after collecting the public / families list, we have to send the list to (Ma Wa Ka) office. We haven’t heard about dividing the personnel vote but vote will be divided according to section. Government civil service leaders are meeting everyday, but I don’t know when personnel will vote. Maybe they will separate personnel and public vote” he said.

“We heard that personnel lists need to be sent separately. If that is true, we will be in trouble. If we cross the vote “no” we don’t know what will happen later. We know what they do is not fair but right now our survival is in the government’s hands, which means we will have to support them. No one can deny that what they do is not fair. Every body knows that we (Govt personnel) support them just because we are afraid of them” adding by another person.

“The Palaung people in some village think this is an election–they do not know it is a referendum. Authorities are telling people around in NumKham town that if villagers support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, they should vote “yes.” For villagers who know nothing and support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, they will vote “yes” said by a local villager.

Not only villages in Num Kham Township but also a village in Numsan Township, Kyaukmae province, North Shan State, think this is an election. According to personnel whom collecting the list of people at age to vote “there is no more NLD. The government now is not accepting them. As Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is NLD, she is also a woman, so she can not lead Burma. Even government now as men, they can not lead the country well. However, there is only the government now we have to support if we have to”.

There were “NO” campaign activities before in Palaung area. Anybody who wears that T-shirt will be arrested and that T-shirt needs to be withdrawn, the authorities said. Thus public in Palaung area are the target to have an eye on more then before.

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